Archive for day: Wednesday, March 9th, 2016

The main purpose of a resume is to paint an accurate and concise picture of the person it’s representing; however, many job seekers have a hard time creating such a resume, often because they stick to outdated formats. Resumes used to be limited to listing experience and skills, with each entry in “Employment History” listing the bare-bones duties of the job—but with times changing, it’s time the face of the resume does, too.
Unfortunately, many do stick to these generic bullet points, which cause their resumes to echo those of countless others in the stack. These resumes can become easily forgotten in the blur of similarly worded documents in an employer’s inbox; as a result, it’s important to ensure your resume stands out by going the extra mile in describing not just your responsibilities, but your accomplishments and recognition as well.
When revamping your resume, try describing what your accomplishments were in each position you held or what results came of your projects. This is also a great way to communicate your skills and avoid any cliché listings such as “excellent communication skills.” If you’re wondering how to tailor your resume to this format with your specific skills and experiences, try these examples:
Rather than simply stating you have organizational skills in an easily forgettable bullet point, describe a project in your employment history that clearly communicates those skills. For example, you could list that you helped maintain and reorganize the filing system in your office or that you cleaned up a cluttered database with success.
Instead of listing a project you participated in, describe how you accomplished the end result and make mention of any awards or recognition you may have gotten for that project.
Where possible, use numbers. If you helped your company increase revenue or website traffic, for example, try to offer a dollar amount or percentage on how much of a difference you made—including a brief explanation of how you managed to do so and any recognition you got for it.
Of course, while this is a great way to bulk up a resume that’s lacking information and gives employers a better idea of your capabilities, it can get very detailed. Be sure to keep your resume brief, as always, and avoid large blocks of undivided text. While there is no magic length for a resume, it’s always recommended that it’s kept as concise and easy to read as possible!

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